Rain, rain, go away‏

Come again another day.....

So yeah, I suppose you remember when I said that summer had officially started, about a month ago? Well actually, what happened this summer has been really interesting, and quite fantastic in my opinion. So the actual HEAT of summer only went for about a week at a time, and then there'd be a week of rain, and then a week of HEAT, and so on. And now it seems that summer is pretty much over! This summer has been way way cooler than the years in the past, and for that I am grateful. It happens to be raining right now, as it has been pretty much since I got here, aside from a few days. So as much as being soaked is not the funnest, I'm happy it's not from my own sweat. :)

We got to meet with two of our investigators this past week, and had a wonderful lesson on the plan of salvation. Actually, one of the investigators we are really excited about and praying a lot for because she has told us that she thinks the church is true, and when we taught about the plan of salvation, she really seemed to understand the importance of her choices in this life. So hopefully this next week we will teach about baptism, and perhaps even have a commitment from her! I hope so.. :)

We had quite a few meetings this week, all stacked into the weekend. Friday we went to Busan for a Missionary Leader Coordination Mtg, and then Saturday and Sunday I got to go back to Hogye for a District Conference with a Quorum of the Seventy. That was cool. It was Elder Whiting, who actually came to talk to us missionaries about a year ago. All of the missionaries were kind of surprised, because what we remembered from our meeting from him was that he was super intense and kind of scary. But in this meeting, he was hilarious and just making jokes and such. It was really interesting to see his different approach from a year ago to us missionaries to now while talking to the members. 

Anyway, I'm enjoying it here. :) And plus, I don't think I told you but we have a trainee Elder in our area, and he is super cute! Haha he literally just graduated college, high school, and then came, so he's still 18. Ahh it's so fun having an American trainee. And there's so many of them! In fact, there's a ton now, and TWENTY-ONE coming in next transfer. Soooo there's a very big chance that I will be training for my last two transfers, though if that doesn't end up happening I will be quite okay. Anyway, Elder Kunde is his name, and he's from Utah. :) His companion is Elder Richardson, who goes home at the same time as me. So we are having a lot of fun in our four-man team! 

I'm glad to hear that everything is going well! Dad, I didn't know you were still doing the English class! That's really great. :) I'll remember that now when I teach English, and be like, dad is doing the same thing! :D

Interested in Koreans?

Something I've actually started adopting, which I'm not sure I'm happy about, is the habit of talking to myself. In Korea, it's completely normal to talk to yourself. In fact it's like the language was designed so that you could talk to yourself. So yes, I have indeed started doing what I thought was so weird in my Korean companions, asking questions to myself and making little remarks about what's going on around me. But don't worry, if I do it when I get home it will be in Korean, so I won't look like a super weirdo, just someone speaking a weird language. lol

I love you all so much! Have a wonderful week <3 <3

Sister Segovia

So instead of a scripture line, I wanted to say a little more of what we learned from Elder Whiting. He told a really great story about one of his plane rides. He makes it a point to always have pamphlets from our church ready when he rides planes so he can talk to the people that sit next to him. He was ready and waiting on a plane, when all the seats filled up except the seat next to him. He had prayed that God would send him someone he could talk to, so he was wondering what would happen, when the very last person walked on the plane. As he saw who was walking to the seat next to him, he started laughing. There came a 75-year-old nun dressed in the full outfit. He did indeed talk to her about many things, including her beliefs and his own. She did not want any of his pamphlets, and yet he was still able to show his love and admiration for her commitment to follow Christ in the way that she knew. He then said something I really liked: "Sometimes sharing the gospel is more to make us strong than it is to convert." Yes, we should always be looking for ways to share. But when we do share and get rejected, that doesn't mean that God isn't guiding us. Maybe the reason we were supposed to talk to that person wasn't to see immediate results in them. No matter what their decision is, we can see the change in our own selves immediately. It's just about sharing. :)

Remember how Gyeongju was the capital of Korea back in the day?‏

Alright family, here I am, an new citizen of Gyeongju city. And guess what that means? I get to go to all of the tour sites for free! :D :D Yep, interesting fact is that citizens of the city can get in for free but everyone else has to pay to see cool things. Yayyy... We actually were planning on going to a bunch today, but its POURING outside so we might have to postpone.. :( But still, I'm excited for when the day comes.

So this past week was pretty interesting. It was actually pretty hard too. The whole time I just felt like I wasn't doing my role, and instead of becoming any type of responsible missionary, I just felt like I was right back in training. Not the greatest feeling in the world, but it certainly helps in the acquirement of humility. 

I forgot how much you have to change when you transfer to a new area. In each area, missionary work is done a little bit differently and you have to change the way you think to match what best works in that specific area. For example, in Hogye we spent a lot of time looking for former investigators and less actives, but Gyeongju doesn't have much to look for. And this area is HUGE. We have to take buses everywhere. In fact, it's almost the same as Jinju. And guess what? There's a member here that lived in Jinju when I was there. She is amazing, and we got to go out to eat with her this past week. :)

We also met with quite a few other members and ate together. The members are great here. There's about 45, 50 that attend church. But surprising part of it is that around 20 of them are little kids under that age of twelve! It calls for a crazy time in church that's for sure. 

And awesome miracle that happened this week with English class--15 people came! My companion said that when she first got here, there wasn't anyone. But they have been putting out these flyers everywhere that have been really effective. Our three investigators came from the flyers, as did a lot of the Elders' investigators too. In fact, they have some of the coolest investigators ever. One is a student, and he reads the BOM everyday, and at church yesterday we were learning about the Priesthood and he decided he wanted to study more about it this next week. He is so prepared!! Also, Another of their investigators is monk. That's right, grey clothes and a bald head monk. He is studying English with the Elders, but he said that he would come to church at least once :D Insane.

Lots more happened this week, but I'll have to stop here before I get too carried away. I think I'm getting the hang of the area a little more now and y companion and I are at a more comfortable level, so hopefully this next week will be a smooth and happy ride! 

Mom I'm glad that you were able to go to the temple with your sisters! That would be an amazing experience. :) And dad, thanks for helping out Nelly with finding parts for her car! What happened to it?

I love you all lots! 

Sister Segovia

"Whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it." - Exodus 35:5

This line really stuck out to me when I was reading. We that have willing hearts can bring them where God wants us. When I read this, I ask myself, where is my willing (or unwilling if that applies) heart bring me? If I truly do keep God's commandments with a willing heart, them I will be able to go wherever He would ask. I will bring everything I have and offer it up to the Lord. My time, my faith, my fears. Through a willing heart, I can give all those over to Him, our Father in Heaven.

Just a jump across the river‏

Guess what????? I am indeed in a new area. But, it's actually RIGHT next to my last area, and I'm even in the same district! So it's almost like I'm not really transferring at all. In fact, our stake is having a conference in two weeks so I will be able to see all my beloved Hogye members again not long from now! It was a little weird to tell them, yeah I'm leaving! And they were like oh nooooo, where to?? Then after they heard I am going to Gyeongju, they were like, oh you aren't going anywhere! haha.

But honestly, I think this is absolutely what I needed. Because my old companion Sister Lee Subin is going home after this next transfer, if we had both stayed together again, that would have been a gaurantee that I stay there for two more transfers, and then I would have just one left so I would have been in hogye for 6 transfers, which I couldn't stand the thought of. I loved the area, but I get kind of restless if I'm in an area for too long. So I was torn because I wanted to leave just to have a new area, but I didn't want to leave because I love the members so much. So God gave me both! He gave me a new area, but I still get to see Hogye members pretty often! I'm super happy about it. :)

So, new things about this transfer, besides the area.... My companion is Sister Kang Da Hyeon, and she is now in her third transfer, just finished training. (Which means I am follow-up training.. 8|) We are Sister Training Leaders, which should be really fun because our zone is going to have three new trainees! And 6 people from my group from MTC are training this transfer! Including both Sister Bonney and Elder Jackson from our zone (the people I celebrated our year-mark with). Anyway, I'm really really excited for this next transfer. Everything about it seems like a fun new experience! Though I'm a little nervous because this is my first time being the Senior companion, ever. Wish me luck! And pray for me too. :)

As for this past week, my last week in the best area ever, it was crazy! There was a wedding reception for the daughter of a member, and us missionaries did a musical number for it. It was so fun! Also, saying bye to the members on Sunday was really one of the sweetest things ever, because it wasn't sad since I'll be seeing them again, but I still got to feel the love that comes with goodbyes. So seriously, this whole weekend was just full of all of the good parts of things and none of the bad. I can feel Heavenly Father giving all of these blessings, and it puts more responsibility on my shoulders to do my part! :]

Lots more to say, but no time to say it! Love you all :) And thank you so much to DIANA for her sweet email! I'm so excited that she is learning to swim! Wish I could be teaching her, but hey, it'll be even funner to come home and be able to have fun in the pool together :)

Okay, bye loved ones!

Sister Segovia

Interesting Fact: To start a wedding, a common tradition is to have the mothers walk up the aisle together, light candles at the front of the auditorium, and then bow to each other. I thought it was really cool when I saw it because its like a sign of respecting and uniting with the other family. So cool <3

"Ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me." - Exodus 19:5

We are a peculiar people. Not because we are weird and awkward, but because we are full of light and hope. The world is so full of darkness, so those who see our light wonder, why are you like that? It may be unfamiliar to them, but we should never stop shining.

Who's fluent after one year?

Yep so I don't think I mentioned it in my last email, but this past week was officially one year in Korea!! But with that announcement, don't anybody go thinking I should have the language down by now or anything. If you thought that I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to live up to your expectations. Haha but at the same time, I've been feeling pretty confident about my ability this past week! It may not be fluent, but I'm not looking for perfection just yet. :D

So actually, speaking of my year-in-Korea mark, I actually was able to go on exchanges with a sister from my group in the MTC on that day! So we celebrated our year-mark together. PLUS I went to her area, and one of their Elders is also from our group, so we all three were able to celebrate together! It was awesome! Better than anything i would have thought to ask for. There really is a special connection/bond between those who come to Korea at the same time from the MTC. I don't know if it's a Korean thing, but whoever is in your mission-age group is your best friend for life. :)

Other things that happened this week.... We were able to go eat dinner with a family who's son just returned from his mission in Seoul, and that was super fun! I absolutely love that family, and their son will be going to school in Utah so we'll probably see each other in America too. It's always the best to find out I'll be able to see Korean friends again after the mission.

Everything else is going pretty well also, and we are working hard. :) However, this next week is the last week of the transfer, and there's a very high chance that I will be leaving.... :( :( I'm just going to think I'm staying though, so whatever happens I don't receive any surprises, but yeah.... you'll find out in my next email what happens. ahhhhh I'm so nervous! I really absolutely, whole-heartedly love this branch that I am in. They really are all like my family now! I don't want to leave them... :(

Anyway, that's all for now! I love you so so much! The interesting fact of the week is this: Everyone has vacation time right about now, from school, work, etc. Even restaurants close for a couple days for vacation! It's a fun time for Koreans. :)

Love!

Sister Segovia

"I send an Angel before thee to keep thee in the way." - Exodus 23:20

I really like this scripture because it can be applied in so many different ways. If you think about it, there are SO many different angels in our lives that were put there so that we grow up in the way God wants us too. My parents are angels in my life because the have kept me going in the way I need to. Missionaries are angels to those who have to find the way, members are angels to help each other stay on the path, we all have a prophet who is the angel that speaks to us for God. Look around and you'll see just how many angels God has given you. :)